Apparatus for feeding wires



y 1934- G. ILLINGWORTH 1,958,243

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING WIRES Filed June 27. 1929 r 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ill l MEN TEA 5120555 [LLJNE'WDELTH H's Ara-away- May 8, 1934- e. ILLINGWORTH APPARATUS FOR FEEDING WIRES Filed June 27. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet .3

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APPARATUS FOR FEEDING WIRES Filed June 27, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 fixz'szzzvz da 55012.52 12212375110373 BY Wot/44w Hrs 152702113252:

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AFZPARATUS BYOB New York Application June 2?, 1929, Serial No. 374,13il

1% Claims.

My invention relates to apparatus for making stems for incandescent electric lamps and other similar electrical devices and, more particularly, to apparatus for feeding and locating leading-in wires in such stems. Still more particularly my invention relates to apparatus of that character which will serve as an attachment to a stern machine, for example, of the type disclosed in Pagan and Staudennreir Patent No. 1,555,141. Such machines comprise a movable ier sup porting a number of heads each ada ted to receive the parts of a single stem. The carrier is indexed so as to bring the heads successively to various fusing and clamping means whereby the parts which ordinarily include a iiare or stem tube, two or more leading-in conductors, and in the case of stems for tipless lamps made according to the process disclosed in Mitchell and White Patent No. 1,423,956, an exhaust tube, are united by a mass of glass. As disclosed in the said Fagan and Staudennieir patent, the various stern parts have been fed automatically to the machine with the exception of the leading-in conductors which have heretofore been fed by hand. The object of my invention is to provide a means for feeding the leading-in conductors to the stem machine which is preferably automatic in its operation and which will accurately position the leading-in conductors so that when a portion of the glass stem is fusedaround them and clamped, they will be located in proper positions relative to each other.

The apparatus of my invention comprises transfer devices acting in conjunction with lead-in wire containers at one end and leading-in wire guides or positioning devices at the other. The number of units depends upon the number of wires to beinserted. For each flare or stem tube each unit delivers one wire so that, as each stem tube is indexed along it accumulate its supply of leading wires one at a time from the several units. In order that it may be completely automatic, I prefer to provide means whereby the delivery of the leading-in conductors is stopped when there is no flare tube present. Various other features and advantages of my invention will appear from the detailed description which follows of a species thereof and from the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view; 2 is aside elevation; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the leading-in wire magazine and carriage; Fig. i is a perspective view of the leading-in wire magazine; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the wne transferring mechanism; 6 is aside elevation thereof; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the wire transferring mechanism and alarm switch; 8 is a perspective view of the one half of the wire guide mechanism showing also a portion of the wire holding means of the stem machine; Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing this portion of the mechanism with the jaws closed; Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the jaws open; and Fig. 11 is a view showing three sets of lower guide jaws.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the complete mech" anism for feeding and positioning the leading-in wires consists of a plurality of units. Each unit operates for one index position of the stem and places but one leading-in wire. Fig. 1 is a plan view of two units'oi three which is sufficient as the the third is substantially like the second. Each unit consists of a magazine which holds the leading-in wires, a wire carriage which holds the magazine and separates some of the wires, wire transfer jaws which draw the wires from the magazine one at a time and place them over the stem and wire guide jaws which receive and position the wires in the stem. A head of the stem machine as it is indexed into position opposite the first unit carries a glass flare tube 10, a wire spacer 11 and a wire stop 12. The leading-in wire must be placed within the flare 10 through the holes in the wire spacer 11 and rest against the stop 12. The complete machine is driven from the cam shaft 13 mounted below the table 14 which is bolted to the frame of the stem machine. Cam shaft 13 is driven by a chain operating fromthe main cam shaft of that machine. This cam shaft 13 carries a graduated fly wheel (not shown) for timing the machine as all parts are operated directly or indirectly from this shaft. Some of the parts are actuated by an upper drive shaft 15 which is driven by shaft 13 through the arm 16 and the cam 17. V

The magazine (Fig. 4) comprises two portions, one, 18, constituting the sides and the forward end while the other consists of two parts at right angles to each other, one constituting a sliding bottom 19 for the magazine and the other an end piece 20 which reciprocates in the magazine. When the magazine is inserted in a carriage 21, a pin 22 carried by rack 23 enters a recess in the member 19. A guard 24 held by spring 25 is moved to allow the insertion of the magazine. The operation or the machine requires the carriage to lower as the transfer device grips a leading-in conductor, then to be retracted horizontally, then to be advanced horizontally and finally to be raised to bring the magazine into position so that another leading-in wire may be removed. This cycle is repeated continuously as the transfer device oscillates back and forth. The forward movement of the carriage 21 is produced by the turning of the drive shaft 15 which moves the segment gear 26 in mesh with the rack 27. This rack 27 is bolted to the slide block 28 which slides on the table 14 between the guides 29. The rods 30 and 31 (Fig. 2) supporting carriage 21 move freely vertically in the slide block 28 but force the carriage to travel horizontally with the slide block. The raising of the carriage 21 is accomplished through cams (not shown) on shaft 13. which act through levers 32 pivoted to support 33 to raise the rods 34 and 35, the latter being fastened to carriage 21.

During the horizontal retraction of the magazine,'the leading-in wires are compacted in the forward part of the magazine. This is due to the fact that the slidable' rack 23 carrying the slidable end piece 20 is moved forward by the action of a spring 36 acting on shaft 37 carrying the pinion 38. The tension of said spring 36 may be regulated by first pushing down the knurled knob 39 against the action of spring 40 to disengage gear 38 from rack 23, after which the spring 36 may be wound as desired and the knob allowed to return to its original position. During the horizontal advance of the magazine, however, the ratchet wheel 41 carried also on shaft 37 engages a pawl 42 and is turned to relieve the tension on spring 36, thus allowing a relative backward movement of the end piece 20 and a loosening up of the leading-in wires so as to allow the spreader jaws 43 and 44 to enter the magazine and segregate some of the leading-in wires for presentation to the transfer device. The pawl 42 is part of a block 42 which slides free in the slot in carriage 21 and on guide rod 45. It is elevated with the carriage 21 but does not partake of its horizontal movement. An adjustment for the unwinding of spring 36 is provided comprising the screw 46 which bears against the stationary bar 47.

The spreader jaws 43 and 44 are pivotally mounted on a carriage 48 which is reciprocated up and down on rods 49 and 50 to follow the vertical movements of magazine carriage 21 but does not follow its horizontal movement. A rod .51 extends from carriage 21 through a slot in carriage 48 in which it reciprocates during the horizontal movement of the magazine carriage As the magazine reaches its extreme advanced and elevated position, the spreader jaws close together through .the slot 18' in the maga- 'zine thus segregating a few wires in the extreme forward end thereof to facilitate the withdrawal of a wire by the transfer device. The spreader jaws are normally held apart by reason of engagement of rollers 52 and 53 with the wider portion of cam 54 but the advance of the magazine brings the narrower portion of the-cam into engagement with the rollers and spring 55 brings the jaws together.

When the carriage 21 containing the separated wires is at its extreme forward and upward position, the transfer jaws 56, 57 and 58 which are at a position 180 from that shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6, close on one wire. As the closing operation of the jaws is the beginning of the transferring operation, the air from the nozzle 59 is immediately blown against the wires in the magazine leaving the wire held by the jaws clear of all other wires. The magazine carriage then drops to its lower position thus leaving the wire held by the jaws free of all other obstacles that may bend or swing it out of position. The air is emitted from the small slotted pipe 59 that is connected to the manifold supplying the other units. The air supply is controlled by the valve 60 operated from cam 61 on the cam shaft (Fig. 2). Valve 60 is held in place by the spring 62 except when the cam 61 forces back the roller 63 attached to said valve.

The transfer jaws shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7 select one of the wires held in the magazine, carry it over to a head of the stem machine and drop it in the wire guide. These transfer units are operated by the rotation of shaft 64 on which they are supported. Gear 65 on the shaft 64 operates from the rack 66 which is connected by the link 67 to the arm 68. This arm is moved by the roller 69 engaging with the cam 70. Each unit has a set of three jaws 56, 57 and 58, which grip the wire in the manner shown in Fig. 6. The jaws 57 and 58 are bevelled to a sharp edge while jaw 56 is blunt. The jaws are opened by the pressure of the wedge-shaped cam 71 on the rollers 72 separating the arms 73 and 74 which hold the said jaws. The arms 73 and 74 are supported by the yoke 75 which is carried on shaft 64 and frictionally engages said shaft, the screws 76 and 77 bearing on fibre blocks placed beneath them. This allows the shaft to rotate after the transfer arms are stopped in their extreme positions. Between the ends of the yoke is the jaw opening cam 71. This cam forces open the jaws at the both extremes of the full 180 motion. On leaving one extreme position, the thin part of the cam 71 comes between the rollers 72 thus allowing the closing of the jaws by spring 78 but on reaching the next extreme position, the yoke stops and the cam continues to move and the rollers 72 are spread apart by the thick part of the cam and the jaws opened. The yokes limits of motion are fixed in one direction by stop 79 engaging the adjustable stop 80 and in the other by stop 79 engaging the stop pin 81 which is backed by the spring 82.

To the upper side of the scissor arm 74 is fastened a leading-in wire supporting mechanism. This mechanism consists principally of the support wire 83 and the operating arm 84 which are held in raised position, as shown in Fig. 6, by the spring 85. This support wire performs the double dutyof supporting the leading-in wire end while the jaws swing over and limit the extent to which the said leading-in wire may enter the jaws before the jaws close upon it. The support wire 83, the operating'arm 84 and the adjustable collar 86 are fastened to the supporting shaft 87 which runs free in the bracket 88. At all positions of the transfer jaws except the extreme backward, the spring holds the support wire 83 in raisedposition fixed by the stop pin 89. At the extreme backward position, the roller 90 on' the operating arm 84 strikes the block 91 (Fig. 3) which lowers the guide to a position close to the jaws.

In order to make the machine totally automatic, a mechanism is provided that renders the transfer jaws inactive whenever a head of the stem machine indexes to this position without a flare tube. This is performed by blocking the transfer jaws in such a way that they are unable to move from their pick-up position (the position opposite from that shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6). The lack of movement of the jaws in no way affects the operation of the other units for the 123 and are stationary,

asa na Q) the friction drive. If the head does contain a flare tube, the finger 92 will be pushed back. which indirectly swings the locking block 93 out of the path of the stop 79 as it swings with the transfer jaws. The movement of the finger 92 draws the link 94 and the lever 95 forward, thus turning the shaft 96. is fastened to and rotates with this shaft 96. The mechanism isreturned to its effective position, whenever a flare tube is missing, by the spring 98.

On leaving the transfer jaws, the wire drops through two sets of guide jaws which direct it to its proper place. These jaws are shown closed in Fig. 9, open in Fig. 10, and a half of each set in Fig. 8. The upper set 99 and 100 directs the wire through the flare tube and the lower set 101 and 102 through the correct hole in the spacer 11.-

The upper jaws 99 and 100 are alike for each wire feeding mechanism but the lower jaws 101 and 102 are varied as shown in Fig. 11. Each pair of jaws 101 and 102 when closed form a funnel with an outer opening properly positioned to direct a wire to its proper position in the spacer 11. Gther openings are provided in the second and third pairs of jaws to allow for the leadingin wires already inserted in the flare. The hole through which incoming wire is to pass is in each case designated by the letter A. Where the jaws close on wires already inserted. the plates 103 and i draw these wires into their proper openings in the jaws. The unit is operated from the drive shaft (Fig. 2) by the lever 105 connected to the link 106. This link 106 connects to the lever id? which operates the rack 108 in mesh with the gear 109 by means of the pin. 110. The gear 109 is fastened to the shaft 111 which sun- ,norts and operates the jaws onthe right. The ft set is similarly operated with the gears of set meshing together. The upper jaw in a case is free on the shaft and for the closing ovement depends on the s ring 112 fastened to e collar i'l3 pinned directly to the shaft. For the lower jaws the collar 114 and the spring 115 perform this o eration. Opening the jaws depends on the pinslld and i1? placed in the unper and lower jaws. These pins are engaged by the collar 114 whenthe collar withdraws from its closing position. I'he stop post 118 enga es the screws 119 12% in the jaws and regulates the extent of closing.

As the machine is designed to work without an attendant. an automatic alarm is provided which rings a bell whenever the transfer jaws fail to grip a wire. Failure of these jaws to close 'on the wire means the jaws will close all the way, brin ing the fibre rollers 121 and 122 closer toge her. The rollers in such position will cause springs 123 and 12 1- to close thus drawing the contacts 125 and 126 together. This operation closes an alarm circuit (not shown) which comprises the usual transformer and bell. As springs is system can operate only when the transs are at their pick-up position.

claim as new and desire to secure by *s Patent of the United States is,-

an apparatus for feeding leading-in con- .ru Mo to the combination of a magazine or said leadingdn conductors, a transfer device comprising gripping means and mounted so that it be moved from a loading position to a delivery position, mechanism for so moving said transfer device, mechanism for advancing said magazine to allow said gripping means to close on a conductor an. Qhereafter retract said maga- The lever 97 carrying block 93 it will be apparent zine and means for causing said mechanisms to said jaws to close through said slot when said magazine is in its advanced position and means whereby said mechanisms are caused to operate in proper time relation to each other.

3. In an apparatus for feeding wires, the combination of a magazine for said wires having a slot in one end thereof, mechanism for successively advancing, raising, lowering and retracting said magazine, a pair of pivoted spreader jaws movably mounted adjacent to anadvanced position of said magazine, mechanism for causing said jaws to close and open through said slot and means whereby said mechanisms are caused to cooperate so that after the closing of said jaws said jaws are raised and then lowered with said magazine and afterwards opened to allow the retraction of the latter.

l. In an apparatus for feeding wires, the combination of a magazine for said wires, mechanism for advancing and retracting said magazine, a

movable end piece in said magazine, mechanism jaws comprising a cam also mounted on said shaft and means for stopping said jaws at loading or delivery positions, the mounting of said jaws on said shaft being such as to allow the rotation of the latter to continue after the jaws have been stopped at either position to cause said cam to continue to rotate to actuate said jaws.

6. In a wire feeding apparatus, a transfer device comprising pivoted scissor jaws mounted on a shaft and having a spring connecting the. ends opposite to the gripping ends thereof, a jaw opening and closing cam also mounted on said shaft and disposed between the ends of said jaws, means for rotating said shaft, and stops arranged to arrest the said jaws at loading and delivery posi tions respectively, said jaws having a friction en-.

gagement with said shaft to allow the rotation of the latter to continue after the rotation of said jaws has stopped to cause said cam to actuate said jaws.

7. In a wire feeding apparatus, the combination with a magazine for wires of a transfer device comprising a pair of pivoted scissor jaws mounted on a rotatable shaft so that they may be swung to loading and delivery positions and means comprising a cam for opening and closing said jaws, a support wire disposed transversely of said jaws and mounted so that it may be swung toward or from said jaws and means for swinging said support wire toward said jaws at the loading position of said jaws and away therefrom at other positions thereof.

8. In a wire feeding apparatus, the combination with wire transfer mechanism comprising jaws ill) adapted to grip a wire and means for moving said jaws from a loading to a delivery position of a wire guiding means disposed at said wire delivery position and comprising a pair of guide jaws having portions thereof shaped so that when said jaws are closed a funnel is formed with a lower opening in line with the proper point of delivery of said wire, means for closing and opening said guide jaws and means whereby the closing and opening of said jaws is caused to occur in proper time relation to the operation of said transfer mechanism.

9. In an apparatus for making stems, the combination with a stem machine proper comprising a carrier having a head mounted thereon comprising a stem tube support and means for indexing said carrier, of a lead wire feeding apparatus disposed adjacent to the path of travel of said stem and comprising a plurality of units each comprising a wire transfer mechanism and a wire guiding means,. each unit being disposed at an index position of said stem tube so that the latter may accumulate its proper number of lead wires.

10. In an apparatus for making stems, the

combination with a stem machine proper comprising a carrier having a head mounted thereon comprising a stem tube support and means for indexing said carrier, of a lead wire feeding apparatus disposed adjacent to the path of travel of said stem and comprising a plurality of units each comprising a wire transfer mechanism and a wire guiding means having a pair of guide jaws disposed above and a pair of jaws disposed below the path of travel of said stem tube and means for opening and closing said jaws in proper time relation to the indexing of said carrier, each unit be gidisposed at an index position of said stem tube so that the latter may accumulate its proper number of lead wires.

11. In an apparatus for making stems, the combination with a carrier having thereon a series of heads each comprising a stem tube holder and means for indexing said carrier, of a lead wire feeding apparatus disposed adjacent to the path of travel of said stem tube and comprising a lead wire magazine, transfer jaws mounted to be swung from said magazine to a position over said stem tube as the latter is indexed into position and means for interrupting the movement of said transfer jaws when no stem tube is presented comprising a movable finger mounted to be engaged by said stein tube and a movable locking block mounted to engage a portion of said transfer jaws and means actuated by the movement of said finger to advance said block if there is no stem tube presented and to retract the said block if a stem tube is presented.

12. In an apparatus for making stems, the combination with a carrier having thereon a series of heads each comprising a stem tube holder and means for indexing said carrier of a lead wire feeding apparatus disposed adjacent to the path of travel of said stem tube and comprising a lead wire magazine, a pair of transfer jaws mounted to be swimg into and out of operative relation to said magazine and means for opening and closing said jaws to engage a lead wire and an alarm adapted to operate when upon the closing of said jaws no lead wire is engaged thereby comprising an electric circuit and movable contacts operatively connected to said jaws.

13. In a stem making apparatus, the combination of a stem machine proper comprising a carrier having thereon a plurality of heads each comprising a stem tube holder and means for indexing said carrier of lead wire feed apparatus comprising a number of units corresponding to the number of lead wires to be fed and each comprising a lead wire magazine, a transfer mechanism and a lead wire guide means located at the delivery position of said transfer mechanism, each of said units being located at an index position of said stein tube.

14. In a wire feeding apparatus, a magazine adapted to hold a pile of wires and a transfer mechanism comprising a pair of pivoted overlapping scissor jaws, means for swinging said jaws from a loading to a delivery position, and means operating in proper time relation with said jaw swinging means for opening and closing said jaws.

15. In a wire feeding apparatus, the combination of a magazine open at the top and adapted to hold a pile of wires in a substantially vertical position, a transfer device comprising a pair of pivoted gripping jaws rotatably mounted on a substantially horizontally disposed shaft, mechanism for rotating said jaws into operative relation to one of the wires held in said magazine, for causing said jaws to close upon said wire and for rotating them back to deliver said wire and mechanism whereby said jaws are opened and closed in proper time relation to the rotation thereof.

16. In a wire feeding apparatus, a magazine adapted to hold a plurality of wires and a transfer mechanismcomprising a pair of jaws, one being interposed between sections of the other, means for swinging said jaws from a loading to a delivery position, and means operating in proper time relation with said jaw swinging means for opening and closing said jaws.

17. In a wire feeding apparatus, a magazine adapted to hold a plurality of wires and a transfer mechanism comprising a pair of jaws with the co-acting faces of each angularly disposed so only one wire may be gripped at a time, means for swinging said jaws from a loading to a delivery position, and means operating in proper.

time relation with said jaw swinging means for opening and closing said jaws.

GEORGE ILLINGWORTH. 

